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When the cap doesn't apply

if anyone in your household qualifies for Working Tax Credit, or if you get certain benefits including Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, the support component of Employment and Support Allowance

for the first 39 weeks of unemployment if you, or your partner, had been working continuously for the previous 12 months

(from 7 November 2016) to people who get either Carers' Allowance or Guardians' Allowance.

See whether the cap applies to you, and how it’s worked out, on the government’s website: www.gov.uk/benefit-cap

The effect on Housing Benefit

If the cap affects you, we reduce your Housing Benefit so that your total income is not above the limit. You may have to use money from your other benefits to pay some or all of your rent.

Sometimes you could still have a total benefit income above the cap. But this only happens if the extra amount above the cap is more than your Housing Benefit. We would only pay the minimum Housing Benefit of 50 pence a week.

Dedicated helpline

For more information, advice or support ring the benefit cap helpline on 0161 204 1744 Monday - Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm. Or email advice@citizensadvicemcr.org.uk and ask someone to call you back.

The helpline is operated on behalf of the Council by Citizens Advice Manchester, Shelter and Cheetham Hill Advice Centre - it is a free, confidential and independent service.

What can you do?

If the benefit cap has caused real financial hardship, and your circumstances make it difficult for you to move you can apply for temporary ‘discretionary’ payments once you have received our letter telling you your benefit has gone down